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Sabado, Pebrero 15, 2014

Ideally, I can decide to speak to you based on a few
sentences in the body of an email/application, and then primarily read the
résumé to prepare for our initial dialogue and use it as a framework during the
call. Give me a few sentences to make me want to have that talk.

I never ask for or expect a full cover letter with addresses
and dates and all the formatting. Personally, I don't want to read that either,
and I'd rather not task applicants with the hassle. All we're trying to do is
start a conversation, and it shouldn't take much to get it started. Reading
only a few sentences before making a decision will clearly make my job easier,
but it will make the job seeker's life a bit better as well. There is much less
pressure to have the perfect résumé if you can get past the first stage without
that document being carefully judged. Invest five minutes in the application,
and you can spend less time customizing résumés.

Roughly 50% of the applications I receive are résumé only.
In 2013, almost 90% of my client hires included additional content. The data
set is not large, but over my 15 years I'd expect that the figures would be
rather consistent. Whether applying for an advertised job via email, an online
application, or even if you are just blindly sending a résumé in the off chance
a company might consider you for hire, the key concepts to address in the
content that accompanies the résumé are:

Tell Me What Prompted You to Apply
for the Job

Where did you see the ad? If you were on the major job
boards, you saw hundreds. What was it about this ad that caught your eye and
made you act? One sentence is plenty. If you saw the ad on the company's
website, kudos–you weren't out trolling the boards; you were actually looking
into us. What did you like about us?

Show Me Why You Believe You Are
Qualified

It isn't necessary to write a long and detailed summary of
your experience here, and you shouldn't. One or two sentences that distill the
most relevant experience will get us to the next step. You can quantify years
of experience in the industry and with a couple technologies listed in the ad,
reference a noteworthy accomplishment, or briefly describe how a current or
past role prepared you. A link to past work might help in certain cases.

Express Interest

If you've covered what prompted your application and your
qualifications nicely, a simple "I'm very interested in learning more
about this position…" can suffice. If you feel you may need just a bit
more to put you over the top, demonstrating that you did a minute of research
on the company can help. Is there a product we offer that you'd like to know
more about? Did the way we described our culture have particular appeal to you?

Mention the Company's Name, Twice

Doing this lets me know you cared enough not to send a pure
form letter. Applications that use generic phrases like "your
company" (or the worst, "your esteemed organization") name
scream "I'm just looking for any job" and not "I'd like to be an
employee of COMPANY". The first mention can be in the opening sentence
when you list the job itself ("…apply for Senior Python Developer at
COMPANY"), and specify again in your closing.

Don't Do Anything Stupid or Desperate

Referencing the wrong company name due to cut/paste miscues
is a common one, and although we are willing to forgive a small error it does
give the appearance that the candidate has applied to several positions
simultaneously (which is fine, but decreases our odds of hiring). Creating a
tone that you are desperate to work is not helpful, regardless of how true it
is. Make the recipient want to hire you based on your skills and not on
sympathy. Don't ask me to hire you, just explain why I should want to.

And a few tips for specific
situations…

If You Are Asked for a Salary Requirement…

If you are uneasy about providing salary requirements, at
least acknowledge the request tactfully (as opposed to completely ignoring it).
Try something like "It's difficult to provide an accurate salary
requirement before knowing any other elements of employee compensation
packages, as well as the job responsibilities and company's expectations for
this role."

If You Are Applying for a Job in a
Different City…

Recruiters receive many résumés from out-of-town applicants.
When we see a non-local address without any explanation, it is often safe to
assume that you are applying for many jobs all across the country. There is
nothing wrong with that, but the odds that we will hire you become much lower
if you are looking everywhere (more choices lower the chance you'll choose us).
Combine this with the complexity of relocation–cost of living differences,
moving costs and potential reimbursement, changing schools for young children,
etc.– and the recruiter has to weigh the decision to spend time with you or
someone local. Therefore, unless your résumé is spectacular, an non-local
applicants may not be given the same level of consideration.

When targeting a move to a specific city, mention this in
the body of your application. Companies will pay close attention to candidates
that have concrete plans to move to their city, and agency recruiters are much
more likely to work with you if you are only seeking jobs in one or two
locations. If you can provide a future local address on a résumé, that may
help.

If You Are Somewhat Underqualified
for the Job…

There will be times when a job looks very appealing but your
experience clearly falls a bit short. In this situation, the opportunity to
write a few sentences in support of your résumé is your best shot at consideration.
Recruiters will often give at least one chance to underdog candidates who
attempt to make up for a lack of years with some enthusiasm or an interesting
story. It is much harder to say no to someone who demonstrates that they are
eager to work for you.

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At Avanti Group, we believe that our role as your recruiting partner is to play an integral part in advancing your career and your business forward. This is why we chose “Avanti” to represent our brand. Everything we do as a business is to be more than just a “staffing firm". It is to develop long-term partnerships with our candidates and clients based on trust and open communication. Our mission is to become your go-to resource by providing you with the connections and guidance you need to achieve your goals.